Emotion plays an important role in helping us remember things, especially when it comes to long-term and working memory. Studies show that we are more likely to remember things that trigger strong feelings compared to things that are neutral or don’t make us feel much. For example, emotionally exciting events can help us remember things about 83% better than events that don’t stir any emotions.

How Emotion Affects Different Types of Memory

1. Short-Term Memory:

   • Short-term memory (STM) usually holds information for just 15 to 30 seconds.
   • Emotions can help a little with STM, but since this type of memory doesn't last long, the effect is usually small when we compare it to long-term memory.

2. Working Memory:

   • Working memory (WM) helps us keep and use information for a short time.
   • Emotions can impact how well WM works. For example, stressful situations can lower its capacity, making performance drop by about 20-30%.
   • On the other hand, happy feelings can improve how much we can hold and use in WM, boosting performance by roughly 10-15%.

3. Long-Term Memory:

   • Long-term memory (LTM) keeps information for a long time and is greatly affected by emotional experiences.
   • The amygdala, a part of the brain that deals with emotions, works with the hippocampus to help remember emotional memories.
   • Studies show that when people experience strong emotions, they remember that information up to 10 times better than they remember regular, non-emotional information.

Interesting Facts About Emotion and Memory

• A study showed that negative events can help people recall information accurately by 20-30%. Positive emotional experiences also help, improving memory by about 15-25%. This shows how emotions can affect how we remember things.
• In a famous experiment by researchers Cahill and McGaugh, people who looked at emotional pictures could remember them better after a week. They remembered about 60% of emotional images versus only 30% of neutral images.

How Emotions Influence Memory

• Hormones: Strong emotions lead to the release of brain chemicals like norepinephrine and hormones like cortisol, which help make memories stronger.
• Attention: Emotions grab our attention. Research shows that we pay attention to emotional things about 1.5 times more than neutral things, which helps us remember them better.

In summary, emotions are very powerful when it comes to memory. They especially help us remember things over the long term and while using working memory, shaping how we recall our experiences and information as time goes on.